SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team's defensive unit would not be denied Saturday in a victory over the Gannon Golden Knights on Senior Day at Seth Grove Stadium, 17-10.
 
The Raider (3-8) defense, which has been the team's pillar all season long, delivered perhaps their most convincing performance in their season finale, holding the Golden Knights (5-6) offense to just three points and picking up a season-high four turnovers. Those take-aways led to 14 of SU's 17 points in the win.
 
Graduate safety Mike Brewer was one of many SU seniors to leave it all out on the field in what was his final collegiate game. Brewer totaled a career-high 15 tackles and two interceptions, including the game's biggest highlight, a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown.
 
The Raider offense picked up a couple of first downs on their opening possession, allowing senior Jaxson Montross to convert a 31-yard field goal and give the hosts an early 3-0 lead.
 
The Golden Knights evened the score with a second quarter field goal and took the lead moments later on a scoop and score by their defense with 2:19 left in the first half, 10-3.
 
After a rough stretch, Brewer breathed new life into the Raider sideline just before the half, stepping in front of a Gannon receiver on a pass over the middle for an interception, spinning out of the grasp of a would-be tackler then racing down the sideline for a chaotic 59-yard touchdown return.
 
The SU front seven stepped up to keep the game tied early in the second half, stopping the Golden Knights on four straight plays inside the Raider two-yard line, culminating with junior linebacker Javon M. Cruz's stop on 4th and goal inside the one.
 
Later in the third quarter, a strip sack by senior Chisom Ifeanyi was recovered by redshirt-junior Ray Jones on the Gannon five-yard line, putting the Raider offense on the doorstep.
 
SU called upon redshirt-freshman Josiah Leonard to punch it in the endzone from a yard out for the go-ahead score, 17-10.
 
Brewer's second pick helped the Raiders maintain the lead late, as his leaping grab near the endzone pylon stopped the driving Golden Knights with just 2:22 remaining on the clock.
 
A 49-yard pass play inside the final seconds gave Gannon one last opportunity to tie the score, but the Raider defense came through again, forcing an incompletion in the endzone as time expired.
 
With the help of Saturday's performance, the SU defense wrapped the 2023 campaign as the No. 2-ranked defense in the PSAC, allowing only 287.4 yards per contest. Saturday also marked the fourth time this season the Raiders have held the opposition to 10 points or less.
 
Sophomore DJ Jackson recorded his team-best fourth interception of the season in the win.
 
Offensively, freshman quarterback Sam Stoner completed 11-of-19 pass attempts for 78 yards, while redshirt-sophomore running back Tanner Hess totaled 59 yards on 21 carries.
 
Hess, despite starting in just eight games, finished with 681 yards on the ground, the most by a Raider since 2019 (Luke Durkin).